Recipes

Marcella's Easy Beef Stew 

The theme of using someone's recipes to remember them after they've passed away came up again and again in interviews with the Zion cookbook owners.

I scoped out recipes beforehand and had already developed an idea of what I wanted to include, but Marcella's contributions independently came up three times in interviews. I didn't know her personally and she passed away in 2016 after living in Hardwick since 1947, but it was clear from those I talked to that she made a lasting impact on the community and there will be no shortage of people enjoying her recipes for years to come. 

Ingredients: 

• 2lb. Beef stew
• 4 sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup sliced celery 
• 1 medium sliced onion 
• 1/2 tsp onion salt
• 1 bay leaf 
• 2 Tbsp. Tapioca 
• 2 cups tomato juice
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. all spice 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt 
• 1 Tbsp. sugar 

Directions: 

Mix all ingredients in a 3-4 quart casserole. Cover with foil tightly. Top with casserole lid. Bake slowly for 4 hours at 250 degrees.¹

Donna's Jesus Cake

Over the phone, Donna told me that every year for Christmas she makes a special chocolate cake for Jesus's birthday, which her family affectionately calls "Jesus Cake." It is served along with Christmas dinner, and it was passed down to her from her aunt. This recipe was not published in Zion's cookbook but in Grace Lutheran's. I made an exception here and included one non-Zion recipe, because of the unique tradition and because of the fact Donna has lived in Hardwick for almost her entire adult life, it felt right to share. 

Mix together:

2 cups sugar, 1 stick margarine, 2 eggs

Mix and add to the above mixture: 

1/2 cup cocoa, 2 tsp soda, 1 cup hot water.

Then add 1/2 cup buttermilk and 2 cups flour. Put in a 9 by 13 greased and floured pan. Bake at 350 degrees until cake tests done.² 

Bonnie's Pork and Bean Bars 

This is one of the more interesting recipes I found looking through the Zion cookbooks. Bonnie explained to me that she submitted some recipes that her mother passed down to her, some that she just liked, and others that she found in a farming magazine that looked interesting to her. This is one from such a magazine. While it isn't as sentimental as the others on this list, it still reveals a lot about the history of Hardwick. This is a rural community and the ingredients in this recipe shared by a farmer's magazine reflect what would be common among rural households around the Hardwick area at this time. Whether anyone ever makes these bars or not, they still capture the essence of a particular moment in time when a farmers' magazine fell into the lap of the right home chef and became immortalized within the Hardwick community forever.  

Ingredients: 

• 16 oz. VanCamp pork and beans, remove pork
• 8 oz. can of crushed pineapple 
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar 
• 2 tsp baking soda 
• 4 eggs 
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup oil 

Directions: 

Mash together pork and beans and crushed pinapples. Then add remaining ingredients. Mix well with electric mixer. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes in greased pan. Add icing of your choice.³